Operation carried out in Sicily was called “All inclusive”
It seems like old news, but the Italian police dismantled this Friday (30) yet another fraud scheme in the recognition of Italian citizenship by blood rights for Brazilians.
This time, the action was in Catania, one of the main cities of Sicilia, in the south of the country.
The security forces served preventive house arrest warrants against those allegedly involved in the irregularities, including four employees of the City of Catania who had allegedly received money “in exchange for favors provided in the performance of their duties”.
One of the two alleged organizers of the scheme and a facilitator were also arrested. An Italian-Brazilian is also under investigation, and the police have closed four properties used to house citizenship applicants.
The four employees placed under house arrest are a civil guard (responsible for certifying residence), a member of the foreigners' office, the person responsible for the citizenship department and an employee of the civil registration file.
Bake$$or
The operation was called “All inclusive”, in Portuguese, as candidates paid 5 thousand euros (R$ 34 thousand at the current price) through packages that included accommodation, food and citizenship recognized in just under two weeks, with the normal process taking around three months.
One of the pieces of evidence presented by the Public Prosecutor's Office is a video taken with a hidden camera in the citizenship department of Catania City Hall.
In the recording, a man says to a woman: “I have two news, one good and one bad. I'll say the good first: the good news is that five arrived. The bad news is that they are irritating before they arrive… Because they want them done every three days. We hope it’s enough, 625 euros, right?”
Then he takes something out of his wallet and hands it to the woman, who puts it in her bag. It is not clear what the man meant by the phrase “because they want them done every three days”.
The Public Prosecutor's Office estimates that the scheme generated 250 euros, and those investigated are suspected of crimes such as gang formation, favoring illegal immigration, corruption and falsification of public acts.
False residence
Over the past few years, the police and the Public Prosecutor's Office have dismantled several gangs that practiced corruption and fraud in the processes of recognizing Italian citizenship by jus sanguinis, especially involving Brazilians.
The most recent of these took place about two weeks ago in Crescentino, in northwestern Italy.
The most frequent problem is the issue of residence. To get recognition, proof of residence in the country is required, which requires staying for a relatively uncertain period, but which can last around three months.
But the Italian Public Ministry understands that a three-month residence, for example, is not considered long-term. And he often offers to report it.
Despite this, dispatchers sell the idea that this stage can be completed quickly or without the need for the candidate's permanent presence on Italian soil, which goes against what the law establishes.
With agency information Handle
